CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu police have registered a three-fold increase in the seizure of pharmaceutical tablets diverted for narcotic use in 2024 as compared to the previous year.
Official data show that 1.42 lakh tablets were seized in 2024 which (seizure) was 39,910 tablets in 2023. The sharp rise in seizures is an indication of the increased prevalence of prescription drugs for abuse mainly by youngsters and also the focussed clampdown on illegal supply of these tablets by law enforcement agencies.
Police sources say that the tablets seized are mainly pain relief and anti-anxiety medication sourced without prescription from unmarked pharmacies in Maharashtra and Telangana or Andhra Pradesh, or ordered online through e-commerce firms.
Abusers crush the pills, mix it with water or nitrous oxide solution and inject it for a high that lasts a few hours. Majority of those arrested in Chennai for peddling these tablets are in the age group of 18-25 from impoverished backgrounds, say cops.
The official explanation given for the spike in seizure of these tablets is the “substitution effect”, contending that stringent curbs on supply of ganja has led drug networks to peddle pharmaceutical tablets.
To buttress this theory, a senior official cited that the total seizure of ganja has been reduced from 23,364 kg to 21,423 kg from 2023 to 2024. This is despite an increase in the number of cases booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act -- from 10,256 to 11,025 in the same period.
Shreekumar Menon, retired IRS officer and a UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) consultant on drugs, said consumption of pharmaceutical tablets among youngsters has increased as some of them seek relief from stress due to tougher competition and high pressure in academic and professional spheres.
“The sensations from the use of these tablets help them sleep or relax, and they seek to repeat this experience leading to addiction,” Menon added.
A senior TN police official said youngsters turn to stimulant drugs like prescription medicine, including amphetamines, to enhance concentration and stay awake for extended periods, especially if they are working on night shifts.
Cops admit that cracking these cases is tough, as unlike ganja, these drugs are peddled in smaller quantities. With pharmaceutical tablets, legal loopholes aid peddlers, as these are available in pharmacies for legal use. TN police have written to the apex Drug Controller General of India on the urgent need to frame guidelines and amend laws to penalise the diversion of licenced pharma drugs into the illegal drug market.